July 16

View of the day-Ripe winter wheat next to green spring wheat near Gettysburg, SD.

What a day! We started out from Hamill around 9:30am and there wasn't a breath of wind as we went north. Once we started heading west 30 miles from Gettysburg, the NW wind started up and it was a slower go as we got nearer to town. Just as we came over the hill to Lebanon, just 13 miles from "the Burg", there was the SD Department of Transportation check point.

Marilyn kept going to Gettysburg while Al pulled in at the check point. Marilyn had time to unhook the shop trailer from behind the camper and proceed to park in the same camp spot we had been in for the last 14 years. Now, there have been a few times where we arrived at the campground and someone was in our spot, and back in "the day" we had to make reservations and there was always a waiting list to get a spot. We learned our lesson and called ahead when we came through in May and again last week...to re-reconfirm that we would be here this week. When we drove past the campground last night, there was our spot, waiting to accept us with open branches (we have the best trees in the campground). What a surprise when Marilyn pulled up to the nearly empty campground to find our spot taken! A call to the office shifted the blame to various people, and they did say that everyone that called was told "take any spot but #14", apparently this harvester had just pulled in this morning. Marilyn parked in the next spot, plugged the camper in and left a lovely note asking them to move. Strike one.

Still no sign of Al, so it was over to the combine to wash the windows to kill some time. The occasional call on the radio to Al netted no replies for quite a while, then finally he answered back. "I'm on my way back to town...with an escort". Sure enough, along comes Al with a SD carrier enforcement van following him to the parking lot. No overweight fine (we learned our lesson several years back), but a couple lights weren't working, the four heavy chains, boomers and 5" straps weren't enough to hold the tractor and cart in place (they agreed it was more than secure, but "the law, is the law"), no warning flares and one dicey looking tire that needed replacing. This time it was only $158 fine, which Al paid on the spot, but they told him the Freight would be out of commission until the repairs were done. Strike two.

The field we had to do was five miles west of Gettysburg, right at the junction of US83 (which runs from Manitoba clear down to Mexico) and highway 212. We got everything moved out there(minus the Freight) and started cutting. WOW! This wheat is running 65 bushels/acre! The wheat in Hamill was around 35 bu/ac.

The highway is a very busy one, and it was unbelievable the number of harvest crews moving north. From the time we started around 4pm until we quit at 9:30pm, there was a steady stream of grain trucks coming and going, and at least 20 different crews, with anywhere from 2-5 combines either passing through, or moving into Gettysburg. This has always been one of the hubs for harvesters and this year, even though there are several that aren't coming, it doesn't seem to be slowing down. The campground still has empty spaces, but with the bumper crop, there will likely be new faces showing up.

We got a phone call from the note Marilyn had left, and the other harvester graciously moved their camper so we could settle in to our old spot. Where we are now, with phone service (DSL internet tomorrow!) so this can get posted.

No strike three thank God...